Cotton cleaning machinery



April 23, 1963 lfi/l/E'A/TO R51 ORV/L LE M/TCHE LL, EUGENE 60200/4 WALTOMJR United States Patent 3,086,254 COTTON CLEANING MACHINERY Orville Mitchell and Eugene Gordon Walton, In, Dallas, Tex., assignors to John E. Mitchell Company, Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 845,004 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-203) This invention relates to cotton cleaning machinery, and particularly to improvements in such machinery which involves a reduction in-the number of saws required to clean the cotton, but without a reduction in the capacity of the machinery which would normally be expected to accompany such an improvement.

As is well known to those skilled in the processing art, cotton which has just been picked, stripped, snapped, or otherwise harvested, is heavily laden with sticks, trash, and other extraneous material which must be removed before the cotton is introduced into a cotton gin. The present invention involves a machine which will efiiciently clean freshly harvested cotton, removing substantially all the trash, sticks, and other extraneous material with yet a negligible loss of cotton.

Stated in more detail, it is an object of the invention to provide a split stream cotton cleaning machinery having a plurality of cleaning saw cylinders in conjunction with a reclaimer saw cylinder, in which the reclaimer saw cylinder also functions as a cleaning saw cylinder.

In saw cleaning machinery, at least heretofore, with reference particularly to split stream cotton cleaning machinery, the cotton introduced into the mechanism has been immediately divided into two cleaning paths. In this prior art machinery, each cleaning path included one or more saw cylinders, together with appropriate doffing and directing means, by which the cotton was subjected to a cleaning action. During the course of the cleaning action, the saw cylinders would impale the cotton upon their teeth and fling the trash and sticks away from the cylinder. This trash and sticks, together with a not insignificant amount of cotton, would fall to the lower area of the cleaner housing to be treated by a cotton reclaimer arrangement. The reclaimer would comprise a saw cylinder which impaled the cotton, but permitted the sticks and trash to fall through the bottom of the housing to be expelled by an appropriate discharge mechanism. The cotton reclaimed then wouldbe returned through the main cleaning action. The principal examples of these prior art cleaning machines are disclosed in US. Patents No. 2,739,353 and No. 2,776,454,

assigned to the same assignee as is the present invention.

In the present invention, the cotton introduced into the machine is divided into the two streams as in the prior art machines. One of these streams is-directed toward a cleaning station. However, the other stream is directed immediately downwardly toward the reclaimer saw. So far as this other stream is concerned, the reclaimer saw operates as the initial cleaning saw. It impales the cotton as do the other cleaning saws and slings away the trash to be discharged from the bottom of the housing. The cotton is dotted from the reclaimer saw and directed through the main cleaning path, which may consist of one or more cleaning saw cylinders, illustrated in the present invention as being two saw cylinders.

In addition to serving as the initial cleaning saw for this other cotton stream, the reclaimer saw performs its normal reclaiming function for both the one stream which was directed toward an initial cleaning saw cylinder, and for all cotton which passes through the main cleaning station. It will be clear then that an important object of the present invention is to provide a cotton cleaning machine in which the reclaimer saw cylinder also operates I "ice as an initial cleaning saw cylinder for one stream of a split stream flow, and which reclaimer saw cylinder returns the reclaimed cotton through the main cleaning action along with the cot-ton which initially reached that main cleaning area by way of the other stream.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon studying the more detailed description to follow.

The drawing is a front-to-rear side view, in section, of the cotton cleaning machine.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a cotton cleaning machine 10 having a housing 11. There is an inlet 12 to the housing 11 through which cotton may pass to be directed by a pair of feed rollers 13 and 14. The feed rollers 13 and 14 rotate at a relatively slow rate in the direction of the arrows and press the cotton downwardly between the vanes 15 of a directing cylinder 16. The directing cylinder 16 rotates in a counterclockwise direction at a much higher speed than that of the feed rollers 13 and 14 and directs the cotton about the left side of it as viewed in the drawing. There is a generally arcuate baflle 17 adjacent this left side of the dofling cylinder 16 for retaining the cotton between the bafile 17 and the cylinder 16 and between adjacent vanes 15. In addition, the bafile 17 extends somewhat toward the right side of the cylinder 16 and beneath it, as indicated at numeral 18.

Below and somewhat to the right of the directing cylinder 16 is an extracting saw cylinder 19 having cotton impaling teeth 20. The extracting cylinder is spaced a considerable distance from the end 18 of the bafiie 17 so that some, but not all, of the cotton from the vanes '15 will reach the teeth 20. The extracting cylinder rotates in a clockwise direction and is located in the path of part of the cotton as it travels from the directing cylinder 16 along and away from the end 18 of the baffle 17. As the saw cylinder 19 rotates at a high rate of speed, with the bulk of the cotton impaled upon the teeth 20, most of the hulls and trash, such as leaves and twigs, willbe slung away from the cylinder 19. In addition, because of the largespace between the end 18 of the baffle 17 and the saw cylinder 19, a considerable amount of cotton will drop toward the lower portion of the housing 11. The manner in which this latter stream of cotton is treated will be made clear hereafter. Sufiice it at present to point out that the saw cylinder 19 cooperates with the end 1 8 of the batile 17 to divide the cotton which leaves the directing cylinder 16 into two streams of flow, one being the stream of cotton which is picked up by the teeth 20 of the saw cylinder 19, and the other stream being the flow of cotton which passes between the saw cylinder 19 and the baffle end 13 toward the bottom of the housing.

The cotton held by the teeth 20 in the saw cylinder 19 rotates past a kicker roll 24 which rotates in a clockwise direction for knocking back hulls and the like which might cling to the cotton. The impaled cotton then reaches a dotting cylinder 25 which rotates in'a counterclockwise direction at a greater rotational speed than that of the saw cylinder 19. The dofling cylinder 25 wipes the cotton from the saw cylinder 19 and slings it onto the teeth 26 of another extracting saw cylinder 27. There is appropriate baffling 28 for assuring that the cotton which is picked up by the dofimg cylinder 25 will at least eventually be forced to travel the path toward the saw cylinder 27.

Returning to the stream of cotton which escaped between the end 18 of the baffle 17 and the saw cylinder 19 toward the lower area of the housing 11, there is a recleaning and reclaimer saw cylinder 30 at this lower housing area. The saw cylinder 30 has teeth '31, and is in other respects similar to the saw cylinder 19. It rotates in a counterclockwise direction and impales virtually all the cotton which reaches it. There is a bafiie 32 within the housing for effectively directing cotton onto the teeth 31 of the cylinder 30. The trash which is slung from the saw cylinder 3!} is allowed to escape between a brush 33 and an adjustable gate 34, in the manner which is known in the art. The cotton is dotted from the saw cylinder 30 by a doffing cylinder 35, rotating in a clockwise direction and at a higher speed than does the saw cylinder 30.

There is a baffle '36 for retaining the cotton between the brushes of the dofiing cylinder 35, and a second bafi le 37 for restricting the opening above the dofiing cylinder 35. The dofiing cylinder 35 thus slings the cotton from the saw cylinder 30 between the bafiies 36 and 37 into the area between the saw cylinders 19 and 27. A continuation of the bathe 28 helps control the path of the cotton from the dofiing cylinder 35 in such a manner that it will be directed to the saw cylinder 27.

It can now be understood that substantially all the cotton which is to be cleaned eventually is directed onto the cleaning saw cylinder 27.

The cotton which is impaled upon the teeth 26 of the saw cylinder 27 passes a plurality of spaced beater bars 40. These beater bars permit sticks, hulls and trash, together with a small percentage of cotton, to pass between them and downwardly toward the lower section of the housing. The cotton which remains impaled upon the teeth 26- (and this constitutes most of the cotton) is doffed by a dofling cylinder 41, which cooper-ates with baffling 4-2 and 4-3 to direct and sling the cotton onto another re-cleaning saw cylinder 44. The cotton is impaled on the teeth 45 of the saw cylinder 44 and subjected to a final cleaning action by the cooperation of the saw cylinder 44 with another group of beater bars 46. The sticks, hulls and trash, which were not separated by the previous cleaning operation, are permitted to escape between the beater bars 46, and with them passes another small percentage of the cotton. The cleaned cotton is then dotted from the saw cylinder 44 by a dotfing cylinder 47 and directed through a chute 48 to a cotton gin (not shown).

The sticks, trash, and what cotton was permitted to escape between the beater bars 40' and 46 passes downwardly, as directed by a baffie 49, toward the lower section of the housing where a reclaimer saw cylinder 50 is located. The teeth 51 of the reclaimer saw cylinder 50 engage the cotton which falls onto them, while at the same time slinging away the trash. A brush 52 further impales the cotton upon the teeth 51, but permits the trash and sticks to pass between it and a bafie 53. In addition, there are a plurality of bars 54 which permit the sticks, but not the cotton, to pass between them.

The reclaimed cotton is dofied from the teeth 51 of the cylinder 50 by the faster moving saw cylinder 30 and returned by means of the dolfer 35 to the saw cylinder 27 for a repetition of the cleaning cycle. The bulls and trash which fell from the reclaimer saw cylinder 51 and the reclaimer and dofier cylinder 30 drop onto a screw conveyor 55 for delivery to the exterior of the machine.

The operation of the machine may be summarized as follows. The cotton which enters the machine at the inlet 12, and is discharged by the feed rollers 13 and 14 onto the directed cylinder 16, is split into two streams with part of the cotton being impaled by the teeth 20 of the saw cylinder 19, and part being permitted to pass between the saw cylinder 19 and the baffle end 18 toward the lower area of the housing 11. The cotton which is impaled by the saw cylinder 19' is whirled at a high rate of speed causing hulls, sticks and trash to be slung away from that saw cylinder and gravitationally directed toward the lower area of the housing. In addition, a small percentage of cotton will be flung off the saw cylinder 19. This small amount of cotton falls toward the re-cleaning and reclaimer saw cylinders 30. g The sticks, trash and small percentage of cotton from this stage of the cleaning operation will drop toward the saw cylinder 30 along with the stream of cotton intentionally directed toward that saw cylinder. All of the cotton which reaches the saw cylinder 30 is subjected to a cleaning action by that saw cylinder, and the sticks and trash are eliminated between the brush 33 and the adjustable gate 34, and between the bars 54.

The cotton is dotted from the saw cylinder 30 by the dot-ling cylinder 35 and flung onto the saw cylinder 27. In the meantime, the cotton will have been doffed from the saw cylinder 19 by the dofi'ing cylinder 25, and directed toward the say cylinder 27. It is then doffed and cleaned again by the saw cylinder 44. Thus, all the cotton is subjected to the cleaningaction of the saw cylinders 27 and 44, approximately half having been cleaned initially by the saw cylinder 19 and approximately half by the saw cylinder 30. The cotton is then discharged through the chute 48 to the cotton gin. The sticks and trash and some cotton, which escapes between the beater bars 40 and 46 are directed toward the reclaimer saw cylinder 50. The sticks and trash are permitted to be discharged, as has already been described, while the reclaimer permits the reclaimed cotton to be returned to the main cleaning action. This return of the cotton is accomplished by the dofiing action of the reclaimer and cleaning saw 30 which picks the cotton off the reclaimer saw 50 and returns it between the bafiles 36 and 37 to the cleaning saw cylinder 27.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the process of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cotton cleaning machine: means for introducing cotton into the machine; first and second cleaning saw cylinders; means for directing some of the cotton toward the first cleaning saw cylinder and the rest of the cotton toward the second cleaning saw cylinder; the cleaning saw cylinders each having means for impaling cotton while slinging away extraneous debris; a discharge opening for the debris; the second cleaning saw cylinder being posi tioned for interception of cotton directed with the debris from the first cleaning saw cylinder toward the discharge opening and for discharging the debris through the dis charge opening; a third cleaning saw cylinder; means for dotting cotton from the first cleaning saw cylinder and for directing it to the third cleaning saw cylinder; means for dofiing cotton, directed to and intercepted by the second cleaning saw cylinder, from the second cleaning saw cylinder and for directing it to the third cleaning saw cylinder; and a reclaimer saw cylinder positioned below the third cleaning saw cylinder for intercepting all of the cotton dropped with trash from the third cleaning saw cylinder; the second cleaning saw cylinder being positioned adjacent the reclaimer saw cylinder for, among other things, dofiing the cotton from the reclaimer saw cylinder intercepted by the reclaimer saw cylinder.

2. The machine of claim 1 including a fourth cleaning saw cylinder; means for dofiing cotton from the third cleaning saw cylinder and for directing it toward the fourth cleaning saw cylinder; the arrangement of the cleaning saw cylinders being such that substantially all the cotton is subjected to cleaning actions by both the third and fourth cleaning saw cylinders, the reclaimer saw cylinder being positioned to intercept all trash and cotton carried therewith dropped from the fourth cleaning saw cylinder.

3. The machine of claim 2 wherein the saw cylinder is higher than the third.

4. A cotton cleaning machine comprising a housing with a cotton inlet thereto, a first cleaning saw cylinder, a second cleaning saw cylinder, and a third cleaning saw cylinder, the second cleaning saw cylinder being positioned below both the first and third cleaning saw cylfourth cleaning inders, means for directing some of the trashy cotton introduced through the inlet to the first cleaning saw cylinder and the rest of the trashy cotton to the second cleaning saw cylinder, means for delivering cotton from the first cleaning saw cylinder to the third cleaning saw cylinder, .a discharge outlet below the second cleaning saw cylinder, a reclaimer saw cylinder, the reclaimer saw cylinder being positioned adjacent the discharge outlet below the third cleaning saw cylinder and in the path of trash expelled from the third cleaning saw cylinder to intercept cotton carried with the trash while passing the trash to the outlet, the second cleaning saw cylinder being positioned adjacent the reclaimer saw cylinder to dotf cotton therefrom and also being positioned in the path of trash expelled from the first cleaning saw cylinder to inter- 6 cept cotton carried therewith while passing the trash to the reclaimer saw cylinder, means to convey cotton from the second cleaning saw cylinder to the third cleaning saw cylinder, an outlet for the cleaned cotton, and means to deliver cotton from the third cleaning saw cylinder to the outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A COTTON CLEANING MACHINE: MEANS FOR INTRODUCING COTTON INTO THE MACHINE; FIRST AND SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDERS; MEANS FOR DIRECTING SOME OF THE COTTON TOWARD THE FIRST CLEANING SAW CYLINDER AND THE REST OF THE COTTON TOWARD THE SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDER; THE CLEANING SAW CYLINDERS EACH HAVING MEANS FOR IMPALING COTTON WHILE SLINGING AWAY EXTRANEOUS DEBRIS; A DISCHARGE OPENING FOR THE DEBRIS; THE SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDER BEING POSITIONED FOR INTERCEPTION OF COTTON DIRECTED WITH THE DEBRIS FROM THE FIRST CLEANING SAW CYLINDER TOWARD THE DISCHARGE OPENING AND FOR DISCHARGING THE DEBRIS THROUGH THE DISCHARGE OPENING; A THIRD CLEANING SAW CYLINDER; MEANS FOR DOFFING COTTON FROM THE FIRST CLEANING SAW CYLINDER AND FOR DIRECTING IT TO THE THIRD CLEANING SAW CYLINDER; MEANS FOR DOFFING COTTON, DIRECTED TO AND INTERCEPTED BY THE SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDER, FROM THE SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDER AND FOR DIRECTING IT TO THE THIRD CLEANING SAW CYLINDER; AND A RECLAIMER SAW CYLINDER POSITIONED BELOW THE THIRD CLEANING SAW CYLINDER FOR INTERCEPTING ALL OF THE COTTON DROPPED WITH TRASH FROM THE THIRD CLEANING SAW CYLINDER; THE SECOND CLEANING SAW CYLINDER BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT THE RECLAIMER SAW CYLINDER FOR, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DOFFING THE COTTON FROM THE RECLAIMER SAW CYLINDER INTERCEPTED BY THE RECLAIMER SAW CYLINDER. 